


Why do you care?

by mckvch (RaiseYourVoice)



Series: Tumblr prompts [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, M/M, Not Beta Read, Pre-Relationship, Sick Simon, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 15:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8757205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaiseYourVoice/pseuds/mckvch
Summary: "No!""No? What do you mean no?!""That means the opposite of yes. I disagree with your decision to head to the library and get yourself killed," Raphael explained, arms crossed in front of his chest and his face set into a determined scowl that would probably cause small children to drop dead on the spot."I know what no means, asshole, but you can't forbid me to leave the room and I'm heading there to study, not get killed, you drama queen," Simon replied with an annoyed frown and tried to push the other out of his way because Raphael blocked the door of their shared dorm room but the other wouldn't budge in the slightest.





	

**Author's Note:**

> \- _Could you possibly write a fic where Simon gets sick and Raphael does everything to help him? Maybe like high school/college age? Simon trying to work and Rapha having to get him to just chill?_ -

"No!"

"No? What do you mean _no_?!"

"That means the opposite of _yes_. I disagree with your decision to head to the library and get yourself killed," Raphael explained, arms crossed in front of his chest and his face set into a determined scowl that would probably cause small children to drop dead on the spot.

"I know what no means, asshole, but you can't forbid me to leave the room and I'm heading there to study, not get killed, you drama queen," Simon replied with an annoyed frown and tried to push the other out of his way because Raphael blocked the door of their shared dorm room but the other wouldn't budge in the slightest.

"No," he simply repeated and his lips curled into a satisfied smirk because of Simon's unsuccessful ministrations.

"For fuck's sa--Raphael! Come on, dude. I have to study for the exam next week."

"You will not leave this room tonight. You will go back to your bed, lie down and get some rest - you're sick!" Raphael ordered and if Simon hadn't gotten used to his very grumpy roommate over the course of the last year, he would probably be very intimidated right now but seeing as he was used to Raphael being all bark but no bite, his sense of self-preservation was close to nonexistent by now.

"I have a tiny bit of a cold, yes, but I'm not sick. And why do you even care? I know you don't like me so what's the big deal?" Simon asked and pressed his lips together but he was definitely not sulking! Raphael was exaggerating, damn it. Yes, he had a cold and felt slightly dizzy but that didn't mean he was seriously sick.

"You're shaking even though it's hot as balls in here, your face is flushed, eyes glazed over and you're miraculously even paler than usual. I didn't even think that was possible."

"How can I be pale when my face is flushed? You make no sense!" Simon knew it was kind of a ridiculous attempt to argue with the younger student but it was worth a try and his increasing headache was making it difficult to come up with a proper reply. Raphael rolled his eyes in obvious annoyance.

"Your _cheeks_ are flushed, the rest of your face has pretty much the colour of a dead person," he deadpanned and raised one eyebrow, silently daring Simon to keep on arguing with him.

"You're always so charming. No wonder all the girls love you," Simon shot back dryly, a pretty weak attempt at getting back at Raphael who didn't even blink at the statement, clearly unimpressed.

"Open your mouth - if you don't have a fever, you're free to go," Raphael finally said a raised his hand with the thermometer he had already tried to shove into Simon's face about ten minutes earlier. Simon scowled at the device as if it had personally offended him and he was about to protest again, say that he would _not_ do that, when Raphael simply shoved the thermometer into his mouth without any warning.

"Keep your mouth shut and wait until it's done. Dare to spit it out and I will shove it somewhere less comfy!" Raphael warned with a glare, effectively managing to get Simon to freeze with his lips pressed together, the thermometer stuck underneath his tongue. He may not be scared of Raphael anymore but he still didn't trust that the other wouldn't really go through with such a threat and he could really think of better things than get a thermometer shoved up his butt by an angry roommates.

When the device finally beeped to signal it was done taking Simon's temperature, his roommate grabbed for the thing and looked at the display before almost shoving it into Simon's face again.

"102 F - still just a cold?" Raphael asked gruffly and deposited the thermometer on the nearest table before pointing at Simon's bed in a silent order for him to give up and go get some rest.

"You're ridiculous, you know that? Why do you suddenly care, anyway?" Simon asked but he didn't have the energy to try and get past the other, so he walked towards his bed and slumped down on the more or less comfy mattress.

"Who said I didn't?" Raphael asked simply and looked surprisingly pleased that the other had actually listened to him in the end. The truth was, that Raphael really did care but he had always been kind of bad at showing it properly. Well, he was perfectly able to show his 'soft' side with his actions but his words and expressions tried to convey the opposite most of the time. It was kind of frustrating, especially when you had some kind of ridiculous crush on your nerdy roommate who obviously thought Raphael hated him. If Magnus ever found out about his predicament, he would never stop laughing again.

"You don't seem like you do 98% of the time, dude," Simon sighed and rubbed his tired eyes with the pads of his fingers, trying to stifle a yawn. Now that he sat down he felt like falling asleep right on the spot. Maybe Raphael did have a point and was right about it being better for him to stay in and postpone learning until the next day.

"Might seem that way because you don't know me and don't care to change that," Raphael replied dryly, rolling his eyes at his roommate and walking to the small built-in kitchen they had - well, not so much a kitchen as a corner with a microwave, toast and an electric kettle. The proper kitchen with an oven and stove was at the end of the hallway and they shared it with the rest of their floor. Simon was surprised to realise that the other was actually making him a tea and he was even more surprised by the other's words.

"Yeah, well, might be because you want nothing to do with me."

"Did I say that?"

"No, but--" Simon fell silent he slowly started to realise that the other was right. He simply had accepted the fact that his hot roommate was always grumpy and hated him instead of really trying to figure out why that was the care or if his assumption was true.

"So...you don't hate me?"

"You're an insufferable moron most of the time but I just forced you to stay in because you're sick and it seems like I'm kind of taking care of you right now - how does that convey _hate_ to you? Are you really this dense? I don't hate you, _idiota_. Quite the opposite, actually."

Simon's eyes widened and so did Raphael's while he froze in the middle of the room, on his way towards his roommate with the cup tea in his hand. They stared each other for a few seconds that felt like half an eternity until Raphael cleared his throat and awkwardly placed the mug on Simon's bedside table.

"Drink your tea and then get some rest," he said almost gruffly but before Raphael could walk away, Simon's fingers suddenly curled around his wrist, keeping him in place.

"You like me." It wasn't a question but an awed statement.

Raphael swallowed, breathing out in a huff and resisted to roll his eyes before he finally nodded for some reason. He certainly wouldn't try to deny it now.

"Huh. Either I'm delirious because of my fever or my hot roommate actually has a crush on me," Simon added and let got of the other's wrist, lying down on his bed while his eyes already drooped with the exhaustion of his fever. Raphael stared at his roommate in disbelief and finally came back to life, tentatively reaching for the blanket to pull it over Simon.

"Raphael actually _likes_ me," Simon repeated to himself, muffled by his pillow, and a second later he was snoring softly.

Raphael stood next to the other's bed for a few minutes, utterly bewildered by what had just happened. So, he accidentally confessed his crush to Simon and he wasn't even sure if it registered properly with the other because of the fever. He sighed, shaking his head, and reached out once more to brush Simon's forehead with his fingertips and even though the other didn't wake up, he still leant into the contact with a pleased little sound.

Raphael really hoped that Simon still remembered this weird conversation in the morning because he was sure confessing again, and deliberately doing so, was pretty much out of the question. At least the other's hazed reaction hadn't sounded dismissive so maybe there was some kind of chance for them?


End file.
